An assessment of policies to promote perennial energy crop and woodland planting

Abstract

If the UK is to meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero by 2050, significant land-use change will be required. More woodland will have to be created and more perennial energy crops (PECs) will need to be grown. Land will also be required for food production, habitat restoration, and for new settlements. Government intervention will be required if landowners are to deliver this transition in land use. This research identified 43 policies that had been proposed for delivering increased planting of PECs and new woodlands. Their desirability, feasibility and potential effectiveness were assessed by a panel of experts using a policy Delphi method. Results showed that the most important was a comprehensive land-use policy, which will have to be delivered by the post-Brexit, Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme in the UK. PEC cultivation could be most effectively encouraged by delivering investment or incentives to electricity generators at the top of the supply chain. Woodland creation requires support from attractive, well-administered grants to replace annual farm income. Educational and informational policies are also needed to breakdown the divisions between the farming and forestry sectors, and to overcome reluctance of landowners and farmers to grow non-food crops.